Another record field of well over 1000 wines for this year's Top 100 was increased by a series of recent wine shows and other significant tastings, making the selection as difficult as usual, but with some new twists. Foremost has been the evermore rapid proliferation of screw-caps evident over the past 12 months across all wine styles. On re-reading my tasting notes there are repeated references to the use of screw-caps, so much so it seems to me an explanation is required. If, as a consumer, I have the choice between cork and screw-cap, I will unhesitatingly choose the latter. As a consultant winemaker, I am impatient about extending the range of wines offered with screw-caps. And as a winewriter called upon to make predictions about the future development of a wine, I am far more confident about screw-capped versions. As a winemaker, two-thirds of my motivation is defensive: I know the three main cork taints (which started the whole process) will be eliminated; random bottle oxidation (in fact, a greater problem than taint) will likewise disappear; and collapse of the cork due to hot transport and/or storage will be a thing of the past. The other third is offensive, particularly with white wines and pinot noirs, and to a slightly less extent with full bodied reds: the enhanced preservation of varietal fruit aromas and flavours.
What is good for the goose, is good for the gander, so my winemaker attitude spills across the other areas. But neither I, nor anyone else with real knowledge of the issues, suggests that screw-caps are fool-proof. Problems have already been encountered in properly spinning the closures onto bottles leading to mechanical failure, and there have been instances of increased sulphide levels. But an overall risk assessment conclusively points to screw-caps as the better closure. However, the smaller wineries which have developed export markets have a major dilemma. Australian retailers and restaurateurs are strongly in favour of screw-caps, and well-educated consumers likewise. For the time being, importers/distributors in the all-important overseas markets are reluctant to take the plunge. My belief is this reluctance will disappear: the only question is how quickly. What is not new is the issue of price discounting. It can be safely assumed that those who make the effort will be able to find many of the wines at lower prices than those given by me. I, in turn, have accepted at face value the price supplied by the winemaker or wholesale distributor, who is often between a rock and a hard place. True recommended retail (based on a fixed mark-up) is a thing of the past, but how far do you go down towards lowest likely retail price? Go too far, and you instantaneously alienate smaller, specialist retailers and all restaurateurs. It's a no-win situation at best.
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Roughly two-thirds of the wines selected come from small to medium companies, an outcome I am more than happy with, and - to a degree - engineered. Many wines were of similar price and points, and it would have been easy to reverse the split between large and small. There was less room for manoeuvre with the varietal wines: there are two very good reasons for the mainstream varieties to prevail. Firstly, they dominate the plantings across all regions, and are grown by small and large producers alike. Secondly, hundreds of years experience across the wine world has identified the inherently superior varieties, and - of course - it is these which are normally preferentially chosen. But, as I point out, the varietal choice grows year by year, and more alternative wine styles will likely appear in future Top 100s. There was no engineering of the vintage choice. With the qualified exception of some parts of Western Australia, 2002 was an excellent to outstanding vintage for both white and red wines, and it is the most frequently encountered year overall. The exceptions come with 2003 rieslings, another top vintage for the variety, and with the over $25 red wines. Here, most are yet to be released, but the great quality of the less expensive 2002 red wines is a pointer for pleasures to come.
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The selection of the sparkling wines and champagnes was the usual angels-on-a-pinhead exercise, so much so that I will devote a December Winelines column to the champagnes tasted but not selected, simply because of price constraints. Commonly accepted wisdom has it that as you get older, you become crankier and harder to please. There is also a strong school of thought being propounded (amongst others) by Len Evans and Brian Croser which suggests that Australian winemakers have - at the very least - become complacent, and need to pursue excellence with more focus and vigour. I don't see or hear much complacency these days when it comes to marketing and selling wine: big companies and small alike are finding the going tough, or at the least, challenging. Nor can you ever have too much pursuit of excellence or self-criticism. But, overall, this tasting - and the 88 Australian wines chosen - is the best yet. There has to be a balance between the ongoing quest for more finesse, elegance and length on the one hand, and on the other, preserving the special character - the Australianess, if you like - of our wines. This, hopefully, is what you will find in the wines chosen this year. White wines under $20
White wines over $20
Red wines under $25
Red wines over $25
Sparkling wines
Champagne Published in The Weekend Australian
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